HESTIA - Greek Goddess of Hearth & Home (Roman Vesta) Hestia Hestia, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia HESTIA was the virgin goddess of the hearth (both private and municipal) and the home. As the goddess of the family hearth she also presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal. Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods. The cooking of the communal feast of sacrificial meat was naturally a part of her domain. In myth Hestia was the first born child of Kronos (Cronus) and Rhea who was swallowed by her father at birth. Zeus later forced the old Titan to disgorge Hestia and her siblings. As the first to be swallowed she was also the last to be disgorged, and so was named as both the eldest and youngest of the six Kronides. When the gods Apollon and Poseidon sought for her hand in marriage, Hestia refused and asked Zeus to let her remain an eternal virgin. He agreed and she took her place at his royal hearth.

Hestia was depicted in Athenian vase painting as a modestly veiled woman sometimes holding a flowered branch (perhaps a chaste-tree). In classical sculpture she was also veiled, with a kettle as her attribute. FAMILY OF HESTIA PARENTS [1.1] KRONOS & RHEA (Hesiod Theogony 453, Apollodorus 1.4, Diodorus Sicululs 1.4. Hyginus Preface, Ovid Fasti 6.285) [1.2] KRONOS (Homeric Hymns 18 & 24) [1.3] RHEA (Pindar Nemean Ode 11) OFFSPRING NONE (She was a virgin goddess.) ENCYCLOPEDIA HE′STIA (Hestia, Ion. Histiê), the goddess of the hearth, or rather the fire burning on the hearth, was regarded as one of the twelve great gods, and accordingly as a daughter of Cronus and Rhea.

According to the common tradition, she was the first-born daughter of Rhea, and was therefore the first of the children that was swallowed by Cronus. (Hes. Theog. 453, &c.; Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 22; Apollod. i. 1. § 5.) She was, like Artemis and Athena, a maiden divinity, and when Apollo and Poseidon sued for her hand, she swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virgin for ever (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 24, &c.), and in this character it was that her sacrifices consisted of cows which were only one year old. The connection between Hestia and Apollo and Poseidon, which is thus alluded to in the legend, appears also in the temple of Delphi, where the three divinities were worshipped in common, and Hestia and Poseidon appeared together also at Olympia. (Paus. v. 26. § 26, x. 5. § 3; Hom. Hymn. xxxi.

2.) As the hearth was looked upon as the sacred centre of domestic life, so Hestia was the goddess of domestic life and the giver of all domestic happiness and blessings, and as such she was believed to dwell in the inner part of every house (Hom. Hymn. in Ven. 30; Callim. Hymn. in Del. 325, in Cer. 129), and to have invented the art of building houses. (Diod. v. 68; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 735.) In this respect she appears often together with Hermes, who was likewise a deus penetralis, as protecting the works of man. (Hom. Hymn. xxxii. 10: Paus. x. 11. § 3.) As the hearth of a house is at the same time the altar on which sacrifices are offered to the domestic gods (hestiouchoi or ephestioi), Hestia was looked upon as presiding at all sacrifices, and, as the goddess of the sacred fire of the altar, she had a share in the sacrifices in all the temples of the gods. (Hom. Hymn. in Ven.

31.) Hence when sacrifices were offered, she was invoked first, and the first part of the sacrifice was offered to her. (Hom. Hymn. xxxii. 5; Pind. Nem. xi. 5; Plat. Cratyl. p. 401, d. ; Paus. v. 14. § 5; Schol. ad Aristoph. Vesp. 842 ; Hesych. s. v. aph hestias archomenos.) Solemn oaths were sworn by the goddess of the hearth, and the hearth itself was the sacred asylum where suppliants implored the protection of the inhabitants of the house. (Hom. Od. xiv. 159; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1579.) A town or city is only an extended family, and therefore had likewise its sacred hearth, the symbol of an harmonious community of citizens and of a common worship. This public hearth usually existed in the prytaneium of a town, where the goddess had her especial sanctuary (thalamos), under the name of Prutanitis, with a statue and the sacred hearth.

There the prytanes offered sacrifices to her, on entering upon their office, and there, as at a private hearth, Hestia protected the suppliants. As this public hearth was the sacred asylum in every town, the state usually received its guests and foreign ambassadors there, and the prytanes had to act the part of hosts. When a colony was sent out, the emigrants took the fire which was to burn on the hearth of their new home from that of the mother town. (Pind. Nem. xi. 1, &c., with the Scholiast; Parthen. Erot. 18; Dion. Hal. ii. 65.) If ever the fire of her hearth became extinct, it was not allowed to be lighted again with ordinary fire, but either by fire produced by friction, or by burning glasses drawing fire from the sun. The mystical speculations of later times proceeded from tile simple ideas of the ancients, and assumed a sacred hearth not only in the centre of the earth, but even in that of the universe, and confounded Hestia in various ways with other divinities, such as Cybele, Gaea, Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis.

(Orph. Hymn. 83; Plut. de Plac. Philos. 3, 11, Numa, 11.) There were but few special temples of Hestia in Greece, as in reality every prytaneum was a sanctuary of the goddess, and as a portion of the sacrifices, to whatever divinity they were offered, belonged to her. There was, however, a separate temple of Hestia at Hermione, though it contained no image of her, but only an altar. (Paus. ii. 35. § 2.) Her sacrifices consisted of the primitiae of fruit, water, oil, wine, and cows of one year old. (Hesych. l. c. ; Hom. Hymn. xxxi. 3, xxxii. 6; Pind. Nem. xi. 6.) The Romans worshipped the same goddess, or rather the same ideas embodied in her, under the name of Vesta, which is in reality identical with Hestia; but as the Roman worship of Vesta differed in several points from that of Hestia in Greece. Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

ALTERNATE NAME SPELLINGS Zeus, Ganymedes and Hestia, Athenian red-figure kylix C6th B.C., National Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia Hesiod, Theogony 453 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) : "But Rhea was subject in love to Kronos (Cronus) and bare splendid children, Hestia, Demeter, and gold-shod Hera and strong Haides . . . and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker [Poseidon], and wise Zeus . . . These great Kronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees . . . Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children . . . As the years rolled on, great Kronos the wily was beguiled by the deep suggestions of Gaia (Gaea, the Earth), and brought up again his offspring, vanquished by the arts and might of his own son, and he vomited up first the stone which he had swallowed last." Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 18 ff (trans.

Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th - 4th B.C.) : "Nor yet does the pure maiden Histia (Hestia) love Aphrodite's works. She was the first-born child of wily Kronos (Cronus) and youngest too, by will of Zeus who holds the aigis,--a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and Apollon sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly refused; and touching the head of father Zeus who holds the aigis, she, that fair goddess, sware a great oath which has in truth been fulfilled, that she would be a maiden all her days. So Zeus the Father gave her a high honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses. Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts." Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 4 - 7 (trans.

Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "He [Kronos (Cronus)] then married his sister Rhea. Because both Ge (Gaea, Earth) and Ouranos (Uranus, Heaven) had given him prophetic warning that his rule would be overthrown by a son of his own, he took to swallowing his children at birth. He swallowed his first-born daughter Hestia, then Demeter and Hera, and Poseidon and Haides . . . When Zeus was grown, he engaged Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Metis as a colleague. She gave Kronos a drug, by which he was forced to vomit forth first the stone and then the children he had swallowed. With them Zeus fought a war against Kronos and the Titanes (Titans)." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 68. 1 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "To Kronos (Cronus) and Rhea, we are told, were born Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, and Zeus, Poseidon, and Haides." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5.

70. 1 : "There was delivered to Kronos (Cronus) an oracle regarding the birth of Zeus which stated that the son who would be born to him would wrest the kingship from him by force. Consequently Kronos time and again did away with the children whom he begot; but Rhea, grieved as she was, and yet lacking the power to change her husband's purpose, when she had given birth to Zeus, concealed him in Ide (Ida)." Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "From Saturnus [Kronos (Cronus)] and Ops [Rhea]: Vesta [Hestia], Ceres [Demeter], Juno [Hera], Juppiter [Zeus], Pluto [Haides], Neptunus [Poseidon]." Ovid, Fasti 6. 285 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C.

to C1st A.D.) : "Juno [Hera] and Ceres [Demeter], they recount, were born from Ops [Rhea] by Saturnus' [Kronos' (Cronus')] seed. Vesta [Hestia] was the third. The first two married, both gave birth, it's reported; one of the three stayed ignorant of men." HESTIA & THE GOD PRIAPUS Ovid, Fasti 6. 319 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) : "Should I omit or recount your shame, red Priapus? It is a very playful, tiny tale. Coroneted Cybele [Rhea], with her crow of turrets, invites the eternal gods to her feast. She invites, too, Satyri (Satyrs) and Nymphae (Nymphs), Rural-Spirits (Rustica Numina); Silenus is present, uninvited. It's not allowed and too long to narrate the gods' banquet: night was consumed with much wine.

Some blindly stroll shadowy Ida's dells, or lie down and rest their bodies in the soft grass. Others play or are clasped by sleep; or link their arms and thump the green earth in triple quick step. Vesta [Hestia] lies down and takes a quiet, carefree nap, just as she was, her head pillowed by turf. But the red saviour of gardens [Priapos] prowls for Nymphai and goddesses, and wanders back and forth. He spots Vesta. It's unclear if he thought she was a Nympha or knew it was Vesta. He claims ignorance. He conceives a vile hope and tires to steal upon her, walking on tiptoe, as his heart flutters. By chance old Silenus had left the donkey he came on by a gently burbling stream. The long Hellespont's god was getting started, when it bellowed an untimely bray. The goddess stars up, frightened by the noise. The whole crowd fly to her; the god flees through hostile hands." N.B. An almost identical story is told by Ovid of Priapos and the Nymphe Lotis .

HYMNS TO HESTIA Hestia and Demeter, Athenian red-figure kylix C5th B.C., Antikensammlung Berlin Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th - 4th B.C.) : "Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you ahve gained an everlasting abode and highest honour: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet,--where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last. And you, Argeiphontes [Hermes], son of Zeus and Maia, . . . be favourable and help us, you and Hestia, the worshipful and dear. Come and dwell in this glorious house in friendship together; for you two, well knowing the noble actions of men, aid on their wisdom and their strength.

Hail, Daughter of Kronos (Cronus), and you also, Hermes." Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia : "Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollon, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise--draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song." Orphic Hymn 84 to Hestia (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) : "To Hestia, Fumigation from Aromatics. Daughter of Kronos (Cronus), venerable dame, who dwellest amidst great fire's eternal flame; in sacred rites these ministers are thine, mystics much blessed, holy and divine. In thee the Gods have fixed their dwelling place, strong, stable basis of the mortal race.

Eternal, much formed, ever florid queen, laughing and blessed, and of lovely mien; accept these rites, accord each just desire, and gentle health and needful good inspire." HESTIA GODDESS OF HEARTH, HOME & ALTAR Hestia was the goddess of hearth and home. As the goddess of the hearth-fire, Hestia also presided over the altar flame and the sacrificial feast. The central hearth of a state also belonged to her--the fire kept alight in the civic hall. Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite 18 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th - 4th B.C.) : "Zeus the Father gave her [Hestia] a high honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion.

In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses." Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia : "Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honour: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet,--where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last . . . Hestia, you who tend the holy house [temple] of the lord Apollon." Pindar, Nemean Ode 11. 1 ff (trans. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "Daughter of Rhea, guardian of parliaments, Hestia, sister of all-highest Zeus, and of Hera who shares his throne, welcome with goodwill to your sacred hall." Bacchylides, Fragment 148 (trans. Campbell, Vol.

Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "[Invocation to Hestia, as the goddess of the public hearth in the town of Larissa :] Gold-throned Hestia, you who increase the great prosperity of the glorious Agathokleadai (Agathocleadae), those men of wealth, as you sit in mid-city by the fragrant Peneios (Peneus) in the glens of sheep-rearing Thessalia (Thessaly)." Plato, Cratylus 400d - 401b (trans. Fowler) (Greek philosopher C4th B.C.) : "[Plato invents philosophical etymologies to explain the names of the gods :] Sokrates (Socrates) : Let us inquire what thought men had in giving them [the gods] their names . . . The first men who gave names [to the gods] were no ordinary persons, but high thinkers and great talkers . . . Shall we, then, begin with Hestia, according to custom? . . . Then what would you say the man had in mind who gave Hestia her name? . . .

Take that which we call ousia (reality, essence); some people call it essia, and still others ôsia. First, then, in connection with the second of these forms, it is reasonable that the essence of things be called Hestia; and moreover, because we ourselves say of that which partakes of reality ‘it is’ (estin), the name Hestia would be correct in this connection also; for apparently we also called ousia (reality) essia in ancient times. And besides, if you consider it in connection with sacrifices, you would come to the conclusion that those who established them understood the name in that way; for those who called the essence of things essia would naturally sacrifice to Hestia first of all the gods. Those on the other hand, who say ôsia would agree, well enough with Herakleitos that all things move and nothing remains still. So they would say the cause and ruler of things was the pushing power (ôthoun), wherefore it had been rightly named ôsia." Plato, Laws 745b (trans.

Bury) : "[Plato describes the founding of his ideal city :] He must divide off twelve portions of land,--when he has first set apart a sacred glebe for Hestia, Zeus and Athena, to which he shall give the name akropolis and circle it round with a ring-wall; starting from this he must divide up both the city itself and all the country into the twelve portions." [N.B. Zeus receives central place as king of the goddess, Athena as city-protector, and Hestia as goddess of the civic hearth.] Plato, Phaedrus 246 (trans. Jowett) : "Zeus, the mighty lord, holding the reins of a winged chariot, leads the way in heaven, ordering all and taking care of all; and there follows him the array of gods and demigods, marshalled in eleven bands; Hestia alone abides at home in the house of heaven; of the rest they who are reckoned among the princely twelve march in their appointed order." Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 68. 1 (trans.

Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) : "To Kronos (Cronus) and Rhea, we are told, were born Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, and Zeus, Poseidon, and Haides. Of these, they say, Hestia discovered how to build houses, and because of this benefaction of hers practically all men have established her shrine in every home, according her honours and sacrifices." Orphic Hymn 84 to Hestia (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.) : "Hestia . . . who dwellest amidst great fire's eternal flame; in sacred rites these ministers are thine, mystics much blessed, holy and divine. In thee the Gods have fixed their dwelling place, strong, stable basis of the mortal race." Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2. 27 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) : "The goddess whom they call Hestia.

Her power extends over altars and hearths, and therefore all prayers and all sacrifices end with this goddess, because she is the guardian of the innermost things." Suidas s.v. Ges agalma (trans. Suda On Line) (Byzantine Greek Lexicon C10th A.D.) : "Ges agalma (A statue of the earth): They model Hestia as a woman, like the earth, holding up a kettledrum, since the earth encloses the winds below herself." CULT OF HESTIA "Hestia Giustiniani", Greco-Roman marble statue, Villa Albani Museum GENERAL CULT Hestia had few significant temples or shrines dedicated to her. Rather she presided over the hearth at the centre of each home, the altars of all the gods, and the public earth of the city. Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2. 27 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) : "The name Vesta comes from the Greeks, for she is the goddess whom they call Hestia.

Her power extends over altars and hearths, and therefore all prayers and all sacrifices end with this goddess, because she is the guardian of the innermost things. Closely related to this function are the Penates or household gods [of the Romans]." I. ATHENS (ATHENAI) Main City of Attica (Attika) (Southern Greece) Aristophanes, Birds 846 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) : "[A character steals the pig-trough of Hestia's holy swine--perhaps connected with the Thesmophoria festival in which swine were sacrificed :] Bdelykleon (Bdelycleon) : What is this? Philokleon (Philocleon) : The pig-trough of the swine dedicated to Hestia. Bdelykleon : Did you steal it from a shrine? Philokleon : No, no, by addressing Hestia first, I might, thanks to her, crush an adversary [in the courts]. But put an end to delay by calling up the case. My verdict is already settled." Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 18.

3 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) : "Hard by is the Prytaneon (Prytaneum) [the town-hall of Athens] . . . and figures are placed of the goddesses Eirene (Irene, Peace) and Hestia." II. OROPUS (OROPOS) Town in Attica (Southern Greece) Pausanias, Description of Greece 1. 34. 3 : "[The temple of Amphiaraus in Oropos (Oropus) in Attika :] The altar shows parts. One part is to Herakles (Heracles), Zeus, and Apollon Paion (Paeon, Healer) . . . the third is to Hestia and Hermes and [the hero] Amphiaraus and the children of Amphilokhos (Amphilochus)." III. HERMIONE Town in Argolis (Southern Greece) Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 35. 1 : "[At Hermione in Argolis :] Passing into the sanctuary of Hestia, we see no image, but only an altar, and they sacrifice to Hestia upon it." IV.

SPARTA Main City of Lacedaemonia (Southern Greece) Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 11. 11 : "The Lakedaimonians (Lacedaemonians) also have a sanctuary of Hestia [at Sparta]." V. OLYMPIA Sanctuary in Elis (Southern Greece) Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 14. 4 : "The order in which the Eleans are wont to sacrifice on the altars [at Olympia]. They sacrifice to Hestia first, secondly to Zeus Olympios (Olympian), going to the altar within the temple, thirdly to Zeus Laoitas and to Poseidon Laoitas . . . Fourthly and fifthly they sacrifice to Artemis and to Athena." Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 11. 8 : "[Images on the throne in the temple of Zeus at Olympia :] On the pedestal supporting the throne and Zeus with all his adornments are works in gold . . . and close to Hermes Hestia." Pausanias, Description of Greece 5. 26.

2 - 3 : "The offerings of Mikythos (Micythus) I found [at Olympia] were numerous and not together . . . [statues of] Amphitrite, Poseidon and Hestia." VI. LARISSA Main City of Lapithae in Thessaly (Northern Greece) Bacchylides, Fragment 148 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "[Invocation to Hestia as the goddess of the public hearth in the town of Larissa :] Gold-throned Hestia [goddess of the hearth, here the public hearth in Larissa], you who increase the great prosperity of the glorious Agathokleadai (Agathocleadae), those men of wealth, as you sit in mid-city by the fragrant Peneios (Peneus) in the glens of sheep-rearing Thessalia (Thessaly)." VII. TENEDOS Island (Greek Aegean) Pindar, Nemean Ode 11. 1 ff (trans.

Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) : "Daughter of Rhea, guardian of parliaments, Hestia, sister of all-highest Zeus, and of Hera who shares his throne, welcome with goodwill to your sacred hall Aristagoras, and his fellows with goodwill, beneath your glorious sceptre. For they in honouring you keep watch and ward on Tenedos island and secure her weal. First of all other gods they worship you with many a gift of wine and many a victim, and the lure sounds for you, and song. And at their well-spread tables, never bare, the rites of Zeus, the hospitable father, receive their due." VIII. NAXOS Island (Greek Aegean) Parthenius, Love Romances 18 (trans. Gaselee) (Greek poet C1st B.C.) : "Neaira, in fear of Hypsikreon (Hypsicreon), journeyed to Naxos; and, when her husband came to fetch her, took up suppliant's position at the altar-hearth (hestia) of the Prytaneion (Prytaneum, Town Hall).

When Hypsikreon asked the Naxians to bive her up, they refused." ANCIENT GREEK & ROMAN ART Vesta, Flame and Hearth Goddess of Ancient Rome Yhi I am first and last. Vesta is the Roman Goddess of fire and the hearth, Whose circular temple in Rome was considered the central hearth of the City. "Vesta" means simply "hearth," and comes from the same root meaning "to shine" as the Greek "Hestia," with Whom She was identified. Vesta is one of the most ancient Roman Goddesses, Whose worship remained of an ancient character. In the earliest times of Her worship, She was considered a Goddess of the earth as well as fire, perhaps in the recognition that the deep heart of the Earth is fiery. Later She became the Goddess of ceremonial or central fire, and was worshipped by the state, where She presided over the central altar, as well as in the home, where offerings were made to Her at every meal. Her national cult was tended by the famous Vestal Virgins, who took vows of chastity and tended Her fire, never allowing it to go out.

The Vestals were given great honor and considered highly sacred persons. Vesta represents the sacred heart or hearth of the home, the central fire which supplies heat and on which food is cooked. Nourishment and warmth, home and the center are Hers. Vesta was rarely depicted, and was instead represented by a naked flame. This card in a reading indicates issues of centering and grounding. It may be time to come in from the cold, to visit a place of home and recharge. Or it may be that it is important at this time to get to the heart of the matter, and to find what it is that fires you up. Vesta was equated with the Greek Hestia; the early Roman Goddess of Fire Caca may be a forerunner of Vesta. This design is available on prints. Tales Hestia, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home Hestia, Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home Hestia, Greek Goddess of the sacred fire, was once known as "Chief of the Goddesses" and "Hestia, First and Last". She was the most influential and widely revered of the Greek goddesses.

Though the goddess Hestia was once the most important of the Greek goddesses, she (like her counterpart, the Roman goddess Vesta) is virtually unknown today. Her name means ï¿½the essenceï¿½, the true nature of things. Scholars often refer to the goddess Hestia as "the forgotten goddess". Because of the her association with hospitality, the word Hestia can mostly be heard today used in the names of inns and restaurants, making some people wonder if ï¿½Hestiaï¿½ is the name of a franchise. Unlike the other Greek goddesses, Hestia does not have a "story" . . . there were few adventures to record about her. She simply "is". Few images of the goddess Hestia exist. A very "private person", her symbols, the sacred flame and the circle, are usually used to represent Hestia in works of art. Hestia's brief stories, retold here, are too scanty to instruct us. It is her traits, not her actions, that most define her.

These virtues define the goddess Hestia: mild, gentle, forgiving, peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, and, above all else, well-centered. Of all the Olympian gods and goddesses, Hestia was the first born. And also the last. This takes some explaining . . . Her parents were the Titans, Cronus & Rhea. She was their first child. But Cronus, made fearful by a prophecy that one of his children would grow up to usurp his throne, quickly swallowed the infant Hestia (as he did the brothers and sisters that followed) in order to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy. Later, following the birth of Zeus, the grieving goddess Rhea tricked her husband into swallowing a rock wrapped in swaddling instead of the infant, causing him to vomit up all the babies he had swallowed. First in, Hestia was the last to be disgorged. Hence, the goddess was often called "Hestia, First and Last". The goddess Hestia grew in grace and beauty and soon caught the attention of the gods Apollo and Poseidon who both sought her hand in marriage. But Hestia wasn't having any of it . .

. saying that Aphrodite's ways (romance and marriage) were not her ways, she placed her hand on Zeus' brow and swore an oath that she would not marry. More than anything else, she wanted to follow a path that was true to her nature and was of her own choosing. She didn't require the trappings of power or adventure (like Athena and Artemis, the other virgin, i.e. unmarried, goddesses). She was perfectly content and fulfilled, being "Aunt Hestia", and enjoyed being of service to her family and community. Zeus, grateful that Hestiaï¿½s announcement had averted the possibility of war between the rival suitors, not only supported Hestiaï¿½s wish to remain single but decreed that Hestiaï¿½s name should be mentioned first in any prayer and that she should receive the first portion of any sacrifice and be honored in the temples of each of the Olympian deities.

So delighted was he with Hestia's decision, that Zeus handed her the keys to the family home (Mount Olympus) and offered her the position of manager, and with it the responsibility of running this vast estate while the rest of the gods and goddesses wandered about in the larger world having all sorts of adventures. True to her nature, Hestia stayed at home, never leaving Mount Olympus, always there to welcome the others and enjoy their ï¿½homecomingsï¿½. The goddess Hestia never involved herself in the fights and machinations of the other gods and goddesses, somehow managing to stay above the fray. Non-judgmental and forgiving, her ï¿½unconditional loveï¿½ and calm acceptance inspired the love and trust of others in return. Dependable and caring, Hestia was always there for them and helped them to manage their lives which were certainly more exciting than her own.

One of Hestiaï¿½s most important responsibilities as the estate-manager was as ï¿½Keeper of the Reservesï¿½, seeing to it that all their clothing and equipment was in good repair and the the pantry always full so there would be ample food and wine on hand when any of the gods and goddesses returned from their adventures. As keeper of the key to all the supplies, Hestia efficiently managed the large household, pleasing all with her practical dependability. One of the few myths of Hestia tells how the lustful Priapus attempted to rape her as she slept. As he approached her bed, a donkey (long since a symbol of lust) began to bray loudly, awakening the slumbering Hestia. Her screams awoke all the other gods and goddesses and sent the embarrassed Priapus falling all over himself as he tried to flee. Hestia is also known as the originator of the concept of ï¿½sanctuaryï¿½. It was an offense to Hestia to refuse hospitality to a stranger. That those in need were to be sheltered and protected from ill-treatment was recognized by Hestiaï¿½s followers as a sacred obligation.

Special emphasis was placed on the requirement to not ï¿½take advantageï¿½ of a female guest, presumably as a result of Hestiaï¿½s experience with Priapus. Hestia is often spoken of in conjunction with her friend and neighbor Hermes, the god of communication and travel. They were polar opposites in terms of personalityï¿½Hestia spoke little and stayed at home, while the outgoing Hermes had the ï¿½gift of gabï¿½ and traveled to the far ends of the world. Though a marriage of such disparate characters clearly could not have succeeded, they shared strong bonds of friendship. They are remembered together in the Homeric Hymns (edited by H.G. Evelyn-White): ï¿½ï¿½be favorable and help us you [Hermes] and Hestia, worshipful and dear. Come and dwell in this glorious house of friendship together, for you two, well knowing the noble actions of men, aid their wisdom and strength.ï¿½ The circle symbolized Hestia (and her counterpart, the Roman Goddess Vesta) as the "complete" goddess, the goddess who was whole, "one complete within herself".

Hestia was seen as, not only psychologically "centered", but also as representing the center, the center of the home and family, the city, and even the world itself. The source of Hestiaï¿½s sacred fire was believed to be the molten lava that burns at the center of the earth, connected by an ï¿½umbilical cordï¿½ called the Oomphalos to the city of Delphi, a place of great wisdom and spiritual energy. The town hall, a meeting place for citizens to discuss the community's affairs (a forerunner of western democracy), was built around a hearth that honored Hestia. The living flame of Hestia was tended constantly and never allowed to die out, for it represented the energy of all life and to let the flame extinguish was to invite a cold and barren existence. When new ï¿½subdivisionsï¿½ were developed, fire was carried from the townï¿½s hearth to light the fire of the new community, assuring its prosperity. The Olympic Torch is just one example of the living flame that has survived to modern times, though it is seldom recalled that it originally honored the Greek goddess Hestia.

The ritual of a bride and groom lighting a candle together from the flames of two candelabra to symbolize the creation of the ï¿½newï¿½ family from their two ï¿½oldï¿½ families derived from the ancient practice of bringing Hestiaï¿½s flame from the brideï¿½s motherï¿½s home in order to assure Hestiaï¿½s blessing on the union. Every home had a hearth that was dedicated to the goddess, and each day began and ended with a ritual requesting that she protect and nurture the family within. As the Goddess of Architecture, Hestia intended that homes should be built from the center out, with the center being a hearth that contained her sacred flame. As part of the naming ritual, all infants were carried in a circle around the altar of Hestia to secure her blessings. There was an altar to Hestia in the center of every home . . . it was the fireplace, the hearth, where the family gathered. Hestia's vision of a house was that it should truly be a home, a place where one's body, spirit, and relationships would be nurtured and replenished. . .

a place to "come home to" after exposure to the cold and chaos of the external world. Hestia is associated with the warmth and comfort of the welcoming fireplace. Just as the flames glowing from the hearth soothe us with their warmth and glowing light, the goddess Hestia gives us security, peace, and comfort and helps us accept the truth of our lives with inner grace. Vesta Roman Goddess of the Hearth and Home Goddess-Guide.com Vesta Roman Goddess of The Hearth and Home Areas of Influence: Many Roman homes contained small shrines to the Goddess Vesta as she protected the hearth and home. She is one of the oldest Italian Goddesses. Her cult dates back to the seventh century B.C. Offerings were made to her at every meal by throwing some of the food into the fire. Later adopted by the state and became one of the twelve most important Gods and Goddesses known as the Dii Consentes. Her temple in Rome was round and was sited in the Forum Romanum. This housed not only the "eternal flame," that symbolised the hearth fires for all the Roman people. It also contained many of Rome's important legal documents.

The sacred flame was tended by up to six vestal virgins. These virgins were chosen from the daughters of the ruling classes. They were inspected as young girls to ensure they were healthy and had no physical defects. The Vestal Virgins were expected to serve in the temple for thirty years. Origins and Genealogy: Although she is likened to Hestia she was not given a distinct personality or parentage. Nor are there any specific myths that are dedicated to her. Strengths: Welcoming. Weaknesses: Self-sacrificing. She never allowed herself to fall in love or formed strong relationships with others. Symbolism The sacred flame, she was rarely shown with a human form. Sacred Animal: The Ass. Festivals: The main festival to this Goddess, the Vestalia took place from 7th-15th June. She was also celebrated on the Roman's New Years day (March 1st) when her flame was ritually renewed Vesta's Archetypes The Virgin : This Archetype represents the desire to remain sexually pure and uncorrupted, maintaining your energy for other projects . It can also symbolize a deep desire to create brand new ideas and methods of working.

The shadow Virgin, resists her sexuality due to fear and revolution of sex and the loss of innocence it symbolizes. This Goddesses temple was served by the vestal virgins that had to remain chaste for thirty years. The Nun: The Nun is characterized by her intense devotion and dedication to her path. Their work requires great focus and includes not only spiritual paths but artistic and business pursuits. The Nun chooses celibacy to conserve energy for her vital work. Shadow Nun is removed from everyday reality, introverted and self-righteous. This Goddess was very devoted to her job as keeper of the flame. How To Work With These Archetypes The Virgin: The Virgin is one of your main Archetypes, if you are continually preserving your vital energies, for spiritual pursuits. The Virgin may also represent a desire to explore virgin territory; inventing refreshing, new ideas and ways of doing things. On the shadow side, fear and disgust caused by bad past experiences could be preventing you from exploring your sexuality. The Nun: The Nun represents a total devotion to your work. This is the area of your life where you expend all your available energy. If this is your Archetype you run the risk of becoming isolated and losing touch with friends and family.

You may also become very judgmental of people who don't share your goals and vision Vesta *** Who was Vesta? Vesta was the Roman goddess of fire, the hearth, the home and the Roman state. When her brother Jupiter defeated the Titans, and ascended the throne of the gods on Mount Olympus, he offered to her grant whatever she asked. The only desire of Vesta was the preservation of her virginity. When she was introduced to Mount Olympus the gods Apollo and Neptune asked for her hand in marriage. She refused their offers and Jupiter allowed her to remain an eternal virgin. Vesta and the Vestal Virgins The circular Temple of Vesta was situated in the Forum Romanum and served by the priestesses called the Vestal Virgins. The Vestal Virgins (sacerdos Vestalis) were the only female priestesses of Ancient Rome. The duty of the Vestal Virgins was to keep the sacred fire that burned on the altar of the goddess Vesta from being extinguished and to preserve a sacred pledge on which the safety and the very existence of Rome was supposed to depend.

The Romans looked upon Vesta as one of the protective deities of their empire and that the safety and fate of Rome depended upon the preservation of the sacred fire in the temple of Vesta. The Romans believed that the extinction of the sacred fire foreboded the most terrible misfortune to Rome and its empire. Every March 1 the fire was renewed and it burned until 391, when the Emperor Theodosius I forbade public pagan worship. The Vestalia was a festival held in honor of Vesta on the 9th of June, and was celebrated exclusively by women, who walked barefooted in procession to the temple of the goddess. Picture of the goddess Vesta Facts about Vesta The following facts and profile provides a fast overview of Vesta: Vesta Profile & Fact File Roman Name: Vesta Role & Function: The function of the goddess is described as being the goddess of fire, the hearth, the home and the Roman state Status: Major Goddess and one of the 'Dei Consentes', the Council of Gods.

Symbols: The sacred eternal flame, a modest head-veil befitting her virgin state and a a kettle or cauldron Gender: Female Greek Counterpart: The Greek name for this goddess was Hestia Name of Husband: Unmarried Name of Father: Saturnus (Saturn) Name of Mother: Ops (Opis) Name of siblings: Brothers & sisters: Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Juno and Ceres Names of Children: None Facts about Vesta in Roman Mythology Discover interesting information and facts about Vesta, the Roman goddess of fire, the hearth, the home and the Roman state. The facts about Vesta provides a list detailing fascinating additional info to increase your knowledge about Vesta in Roman Mythology.

History and Mythical Facts about Apollo Fact 1 about Vesta: Vesta was the daughter of the Titan gods Saturnus and Ops Fact 2 about Vesta: Vestalia was the festival of the goddess and was celebrated June 7 to June 15 when the curtained sanctum her temple was opened for Roman women to offer sacrifices Fact 3 about Vesta: She was also celebrated on the Roman's New Years day (March 1st) when her flame was ritually renewed Fact 4 about Vesta: A Vestal Virgin swore a sacred vow of chastity for 30 years. If the vow was broken, the Vestal was buried alive in the Field of Wickedness (Campus Sceleris) Fact 5 about Vesta: Her worship was observed in every household along with that of the Penates and the Lares Fact 6 about Vesta: The sacred area of the Atrium Vestae comprised of the Temple of Vesta, a sacred grove, the Regia (headquarters of the pontifex maximus, or chief priest) and the House of the Vestal Virgins Fact 7 about Vesta: The goddess was rarely depicted, and was instead represented by a naked flame.

Fact 8 about Vesta: Offerings were made to the goddess at every meal by throwing some of the food into the fire. Fact 9 about Vesta: Her temple contained many of Rome's important legal documents. Fact 10 about Vesta: The institution of the Vestal Virgins is generally attributed to Numa Pompilius who reigned 715ï¿½673 BC Fact 11 about Vesta: Any rite or religious act first required the invocation of Janus , with a corresponding invocation to Vesta at the end of the rite (Janus primus and Vesta extrema). Picture of the Vestal Virgins, the priestesses of the goddess Vesta Vesta (Greek Counterpart was Hestia) The Romans habitually assimilated various elements from other cultures and civilisations, including the gods and goddesses that were worshipped by the Greeks and other nations. When the Roman Empire conquered the Greeks in 146BC many of the Greek gods and goddesses were adopted by the Romans. The Romans simply changed the Greek gods names to Latin equivalents. The Greek counterpart of Vesta was Hestia.

The Roman religion significantly differed from the Greeks in that it was officially endorsed by the state and exerted influence over the government of Rome. Politicians took the offices of influential priests, called pontiffs, to gain control of the popular worship, Roman gods and goddesses like Vesta were worshipped at every public event, including the gladiatorial games, where blood sacrifices were made to the gods. In ancient Rome, the pantheon of 12 major gods, including Vesta, were called the 'Dei Consentes' meaning the Council of Gods. Vesta and the Roman Gods Family Tree and Genealogy The Roman gods family tree provides an instant overview of the genealogy and the family connections and relationships between the main deities, including Vesta, who feature in the legends and mythology of the ancient Romans. The Primeval gods and deities, the Titans and the Roman Olympians.

Vesta Interesting information and Facts about the Roman goddess Vesta, the Roman goddess of fire, the hearth, the home and the Roman state Stories and Legends in Roman Mythology associated with Vesta Facts and information about the Gods and Deities of the Ancient World for schools and kids The Roman goddess of fire, the hearth, the home and the Roman state Vesta | Roman goddess | Britannica.com Roman goddess Roman religion Vesta, in Roman religion , goddess of the hearth, identified with the Greek Hestia . The lack of an easy source of fire in the early Roman community placed a special premium on the ever-burning hearth fire, both publicly and privately maintained; thus, from the earliest times Vesta was assured of a prominent place in both family and state worship. Her worship was observed in every household along with that of the Penates and the Lares , and her image was sometimes encountered in the household shrine. Vesta (seated on the left) with Vestal Virgins, classical relief sculpture; in the Palermo Museum, … Courtesy of the Regional Museum of Archaeology, Palermo The state worship of Vesta was much more elaborate.

Her sanctuary was traditionally a circular building, in imitation of the early Italian round hut and symbolic of the public hearth. The Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum was of great antiquity and underwent many restorations and rebuildings in both republican and imperial times. There burned the perpetual fire of the public hearth attended by the Vestal Virgin s. This fire was officially extinguished and renewed annually on March 1 (originally the Roman new year), and its extinction at any other time, either accidentally or not, was regarded as a portent of disaster to Rome. The temple’s innermost sanctuary was not open to the public; once a year, however, on the Vestalia (June 7–15), it was opened to matrons who visited it barefoot. Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum, Rome. © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) The days of the festival were unlucky. On the final day occurred the ceremonial sweeping out of the building, and the period of ill omen did not end until the sweepings were officially disposed of by placing them in a particular spot along the Clivus Capitolinus or by throwing them into the Tiber.

Similar Topics Hestia • Facts and Information on Greek Goddess Hestia Hestia Greek Goddess of the Hearth and Domestic Life Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, home, architecture, domesticity, family, and the state. She was one of only three virgin goddesses, next to Athena and Artemis . Although both Poseidon and Apollo wanted to marry her, Hestia made an oath to Zeus that she would remain forever pure and undefiled, never entering into a union with a man. She is a goddess of the Olympian generation, daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister to Zeus, Poseidon, Hades , Demeter and Hera . When Cronus swallowed his children for fear one would dethrone him, Hestia was the eldest and thus swallowed first. After Zeus forced his father to disgorge his children, Hestia was the last to be yielded up, making her both the oldest and the youngest daughter. As the goddess of the hearth she personified the fire burning in the hearth of every home in Greece. Hestia receiving the first offering at every sacrifice in the household with families pouring sweet wine in her name and dedicating the richest portion of food to her.

The hearth fire in the household was not allowed to go out by any family unless it was ritually distinguished. Though Hestia did not have a public cult, she was worshipped at any temple, regardless of the god the temple was dedicated to. Hestia is described as a kind, forgiving and discreet goddess with a passive, non-confrontational nature. Hestia was the eldest daughter of Cronos and Rhea. As with the rest of his children, Cronos ate her but eventually regurgitated her. She was a sibling to Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus. She was primarily known the Goddess of the Hearth. Of all the gods and goddesses, she was considered the gentlest and mildest. Others, critically, have called her colorless because there is little information provided in regard to her character. Although Hestia appeared in a few stories, she was not overly significant in Greek mythology. Hestia is completely omitted from the works of Homer, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Poets such as Apollodorous, Hesiod, and Ovid allude to her in their works.

Each city had a public hearth that was sacred to Hestia; the fire kindled there was never allowed to go out. New colonies took fire from the hearth in the prytaneion (also known as the town hall) and kept the fires going in those new locations. Every meal began and ended with an offering to Hestia. Like Athena and Artemis, Hestia was referred to as a virgin goddess. Although Apollo and Poseidon proposed marriage to Hestia, she requested of Zeus to remain a maiden forever. Domestic life was her dominion in spite of her desire to remain a virgin. She was one of only twelve Olympian deities. Her name literally means “hearth”; appropriately, her priorities were family and community. Children were accepted into the family by being presented at Hestia’s hearth. This observed first step ensured the goddess’s blessing on the new addition. Vesta was the Roman equivalent to Hestia. Public and private worship of Hestia was widespread. She represented communal security and personal happiness. Because Hestia remained a virgin, it follows that she had no children.

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Question: Who is the Roman goddess of the hearth?
Answer: VESTA